Discover Less Well Known Monuments in Prague

Sometimes taking a tram a few minutes from the centre is enough to discover a different Prague. Vyšehrad, the original seat of the Bohemian princes, for example, is a mythic and storied place. The Church of St. Peter and Paul with its rich Secessionist decoration, the Romanesque Rotunda of St. Martin, the casemates (narrow underground passages built by the French armada in the 18th century) and a walk around the Vyšehrad gardens present a pleasantly spent afternoon. You can indulge yourself in a similar programme in the quiet neighbourhood of Prague 6. First, admire the details of the reconstructed functionalist Villa Müller designed by Adolf Loos, then take the tram to the final stop at the Hv?zda preserve and after a visit to the Renaissance Hv?zda summer palace go for a walk in the area surrounding the B?evnov monastery. For an all day trip, set out for Trója. There you will find art and architecture in the gorgeous Baroque Troja chateau, exotic plants in the tropical greenhouse of the Botanic Garden (www.botanicka.cz), and hundreds of species of animals as well as original animal enclosures and pavilions at the Prague Zoo (www.zoopraha.cz). Forget about public ground transportation and take a trip on a steamer! In the season, it goes from the centre all the way to the zoo. Among the newly opened monuments is the chateau Ct?nice (www.zamekctenice.cz) – originally a fortress, which centuries of renovations changed into a chateau and then into a noble estate.

Where are familiar pictures of Prague taken from? You will capture the Prague bridges best from Letná Park, while you will discover a beautiful view of the Old Town at Prague Castle as well as at the top of Prague’s little Eiffel Tower – the Pet?ín lookout tower. From the Žižkov television tower (www.tower.cz), during good visibility, you can see to a distance of up to 100 km, while Vyšehrad also offers beautiful views. You can splendidly capture how the silhouette of the Castle changes on the surface of the Vltava from the deck of a steamer or ferry. Quite unusual, you can also photograph Prague from below during a visit to the underground tunnel network.

According to statistics, most people come to Prague in the summer. Spring and autumn, however, can be just as charming – and without the crowds. During Easter and Christmas, moreover, the city becomes festive, and thus, thanks to the popular markets and cultural programmes on the city’s squares, a quite different atmosphere is created.